Word-miner, watching iChange since '99.

Latest patent tells us location is inside Apple’s DNA

Sometimes all the dots begin to join all at once, now new news in claims Apple’s putting together a new social location app called iGroups.

Patently Apple tells us all about the new patent application from Apple for the service, which sounds p.r.e.t.t.y. likely to tie in with your iPhone/iPad/iPhone-software powered device and MobileMe.

As described it will let you share information about events, such as concerts, meetings and so on. The app will be able to detect users location and group them according to their GPS co-ordinates.

We’re fascintated this particular gem has emerged on the same day Apple has begun pushing location aware apps from other vendors, and as a result we’re more convinced than we were before that the company harbours some big plans for location aware ads and more.

“The technology behind the new iGroup social networking applications works with a very sophisticated cryptographic key generation system to ensure security and privacy of your communications. Interestingly, the patent states that if one of the devices in your group happens to be without true positioning technology, it appears that Apple’s MobileMe service will provide some sort of “virtual GPS” capability to that user so that they could be aware of the locations of others in the group. Apple’s patent provides us with example scenarios of both a concert and WWDC event to clarify the service. This marks Apple’s fourth social networking application made public since the start of 2010 – which clearly indicates that Apple now has this hot new sector in its crosshairs.”